A ‘FATHER-TO-BE’

At the conclusion of ‘’Father-to-Be’’ one would not be surprised to see a discreet announcement that this was done under the auspices of this or that morally-better league.

FATHER TO BE

This film is shown at 2:30 p.m. At the Museum of Modern Art today, as part of the ‘’Scandinavia: New Films’’ series, it’s a tract of sorts that tries to be ‘’with it’’ enough to keep high school students interested. It thus provides a clear corrective to American preconceptions that Sweden is inhabited by either haunted spirits or clean and crime-free cohabitants.

Father-to-be begins when a pleasant young advertising man in Stockholm, who works in an office that actually offers an open class at a progressive elementary school, is told by his girlfriend that she is pregnant.

As he vacillates between happiness and despair, his reluctance to assume parental responsibilities is symbolized by the appearance of an imaginary figure wearing a trench coat, speaking American English and representing carefree hedonism.

She happily attends a natural childbirth course and walks a screaming infant into the cold Swedish night, but the demonic character traps her in a brief affair with an agency secretary. There are doubts and tears, and for a while it looks as if the couple will break up and their beautiful young son will be raised without a father. In the end, the better angels win, and the finally reunited family basks at their lakeside cabin.

Magnus Hårenstam and Anki Liden are adequate as a couple, although their roles are hardly two-dimensional. The fictional character of Micah Gabe is laughable rather than entertaining. Director and co-writer Lasse Holstgrom provides some disturbing and tender moments, but the overall effect of this hymn of virtue is numbing.

Cast

Father-to-be, directed by Lasse Hallström; Written by Mr. Hallström with Brys Brabström and Ole Hellbom (Swedish with English subtitles); Photography by Roland Lundin; Edited by Mr. Hallstrom; Music by Bengt Palmers; Produced by Mr. Hellbom for the Swedish Film Industry. At the Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53d Street. Playing time: 107 minutes. Weather temperature in April.

boss. , Magnus Harenstamlenna. , Anki Liden, his MCP friend. , Micah Gabe Bjorn. , Ulf Brunberg Secretary. , lis Nilheim